This invention relates generally to dental instruments, and in particular to a swivelable, self-cleaning, illuminated, intraoral mirror instrument having an in-line finger operated valve for controlling the flow and mixture of air and water across the mirror.
Dental mirrors have long been used to assist dentists in performing diagnostic and treatment procedures. Conventional instruments generally include a narrow handle carrying a small mirror arranged at an oblique angle to the handle so that it can be inserted into the patient's mouth for viewing the patient's teeth and gums. During use, the mirror surface may be obscured by condensation, spray from a high speed drill, tooth detritus and treatment material that collects on the mirror surface. During the course of conventional dental procedures, the mirror surface must be cleared frequently by removing the instrument from the patient's mouth and then rinsing the mirror surface. Thus, the problem of maintaining the mirror surface clear has long been recognized and various means have been proposed for solving the problem. Moreover, various proposals have been set forth for illuminating the patient's mouth during dental procedures.